Custom Puffer Jackets Manufacturer in Bangladesh: OEM Process From Tech Pack to Bulk

A custom puffer jacket made under an OEM arrangement starts with your design, not with a factory catalog. In OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) production, a company produces clothing items based on designs and specifications provided by the client, and the client keeps full control over the design, material selection, and product development.¹ Your job is to supply decisions a factory can build from. The factory's job is to turn those decisions into a repeatable garment, size after size and lot after lot.

The document that carries those decisions is the tech pack. A tech pack is a structured specification document that gives a clothing manufacturer every instruction needed to produce a garment accurately, covering technical flat sketches, measurement specifications, the full bill of materials, construction methods, and cost data in a single document.² This guide follows that document from pattern work to inspection. Prices, minimums, and delivery dates come from quotations for your specification.

Why this matters for buyers and sellers

OEM and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) answer different starting questions. Under OEM, the brand provides the design and the manufacturer produces the garments according to those specifications.¹ Under ODM, the manufacturer is responsible for both the design and production, and the brand can choose from existing designs provided by the manufacturer or work with the manufacturer to develop new designs based on current market trends.¹

ODM can move faster when you have no in-house design capacity, but the design starting point belongs to the factory, so a second buyer can start from the same base. OEM keeps the starting point yours, at the cost of more work before sampling, and typically involves longer development times and higher costs for custom designs and materials.¹ Choose the model before you write the tech pack.

For the buyer, each gate answers one question before the next stage spends money. For the seller, a complete tech pack makes the quotation, the sample, and the bulk run answer the same document. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026-27, woven garment exports from Bangladesh reached US$4,614.80 million, within ready-made garment exports of US$10,578.56 million, on Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data reported by The Financial Express.³

Step-by-step: how it works

Work the process in order. A later gate cannot repair an earlier gate that was skipped, and a sample approved in the wrong materials proves nothing about bulk.

1. Freeze tech pack version one. Build one document per style. A complete tech pack contains a cover page, flat sketches, a bill of materials, measurement specifications with a grading chart, construction notes, a cost sheet, and a revision log.² The version number matters: without it, a factory can build to an older iteration without either party knowing.² Add the puffer decisions: shell fabric and weight, fill type and fill weight per size, lining, quilting chamber pattern, stitch density, trims, labels, packing, and the size and color plan.

2. Pattern, grading, and marker. The pattern maker builds the pattern from the flats and the measurement chart. The point-of-measure (POM) chart lists every dimension at base size, with a tolerance range for each measurement, and grading rules specify how each dimension changes across the size run.² A grade rule is a formula used to create new sizes from base-size measurements, and the base size should sit in the middle of the size range.⁴ Check the graded pattern against the POM chart before cutting a sample.

3. Proto and fit samples. Treat sampling as a ladder: prototype samples, further prototypes, jump size samples, pre-production samples, salesman samples, and top-of-production samples.⁴ The proto sample proves construction: quilting chambers, pocket placement, zip operation, and seam finishes. The fit sample proves measurements on the base size against the POM chart. Record corrections with photographs and a revised measurement page.

4. Material approval by lot. Approve the shell, fill, lining, and trims as lots, not as catalog descriptions, and require test evidence for the lot that will ship. Fill power measures the loft or insulation properties of down products, and each international standard has its own guidelines for cylinder size, piston weight, amount of down used, and units of measurement; under the United States standard, extremely high quality down has a fill power of 700+ cubic inches.⁵ Downproofness is the ability of a fabric to retain the plumage it is filled with, tested by tumbling a filled pillow made from the fabric and counting what escapes.⁵ Ask for the standard, the lot, and the report for each check, and approve shade across shell, lining, hood, and pocket fabric under the same light.

5. Pre-production sample approval. Order the pre-production sample in the production shell, fill, lining, trims, labels, and packing. Measure and wash it, and check fill distribution, quilting, stitching, and label wording on the physical sample. Approve it in writing. This written approval is the bulk release gate.

6. Bulk production with change control. Bulk runs through cutting by the approved marker, quilting, filling by weight per size, sewing, and inline checks. Any change after pre-production approval needs a new tech pack version and a new sample where it affects fit, fill, shell, or labels.

7. Final inspection against the approved record. Inspect bulk against the pre-production sample, the POM chart, and the material lots. Keep the sealed sample as the shipment reference.

Costs, timelines and documents

What the quotation should itemize

Ask for the quotation as lines: shell and lining, fill, cutting, quilting, and sewing, trims, labels, and packing, testing and set-up, inspection, and inland transport and port handling, each with its quantity basis and delivery term.

Example figures: structure only; every amount is an example figure, not a market price. An example total of 100 units divides as materials 52 units, cutting, quilting, and sewing 24 units, trims, labels, and packing 12 units, testing and set-up 7 units, and inland transport and port handling 5 units. If the fill line rises by 8 units and nothing else changes, the example total rises to 108 units.

Also ask how the minimum is counted: per order, per style, or per color. Confirm the basis in writing before planning the color and size mix. See the guide to MOQ meaning.

Timelines by gate, not by a single date

Ask for a date for each gate: tech pack freeze, pattern and grading, proto sample, fit corrections, material ready, pre-production sample, bulk start, inline checks, final inspection, and shipment readiness. Material readiness and correction rounds usually decide the timeline: dyeing, fill allocation, and trim delivery run on lot schedules, and each correction round restarts pattern and sampling work.

Which documents are needed

Keep three sets in one order record, under one legal name for each party: the order set (tech pack, quotation version, purchase order, sample approvals), the product set (test reports, fill evidence, label approvals), and the shipment set (invoice, packing list, transport document, origin or customs documents).

State one delivery term with its named place on every quotation. The Incoterms 2020 rules provide 11 rules with a clear allocation of cost, risk, and obligations, used globally since 1936 and updated in 2020.⁶ Quotations on different terms are not comparable on price alone.

Agree the inspection standard before production. ISO 2859-1:2026 specifies sampling schemes indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL) for lot-by-lot inspection by attributes.⁷ AQL is the maximum percentage of defective items considered acceptable in a lot, and ANSI illustrates an AQL of 1% as no more than one defective item in 100.⁷ Name the AQL values, level, and defect classifications in the purchase order.

Label approvals belong in the product set. In the European Union, a textile product shall be labelled or marked with the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibers in descending order.⁸ Confirm care, origin, and fiber rules for the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the UAE before the label run.

Bangladesh-specific rules and tips

Treat classification as indicative, then confirm it. The Harmonized System comprises more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code, and is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for customs tariffs and trade statistics.⁹ Heading 6201 covers anoraks including ski-jackets and similar articles, for men or boys, not knitted or crocheted, and subheading 620193 covers anoraks of man-made fibers.¹⁰ Confirm the matching heading for women's styles and the full code with the destination tariff before filing.

Confirm association and badge claims at the source. If a supplier claims membership of a trade association, confirm it with the association itself. Verification on Exportain is a document review by its team, not a factory inspection, and not a check against any government database.¹¹ Exportain Verified means Exportain has checked identity, phone, email, and business registration; Export Verified means it has checked the Export Registration Certificate (ERC); Factory Verified means it has reviewed photos of the factory.¹¹ A badge is not a guarantee of production capacity, product quality, or delivery.¹¹ Verification is free and membership plans never grant a trust badge.¹² See how supplier verification works on Exportain before you shortlist.

Ask which inputs are imported for your order. Shell fabric, zips, and some fill inputs may be bought in for your specification, and an imported input can set the earliest production date and the lot schedule. Record which inputs are stock items and which are bought or dyed for your order.

Mistakes and red flags

Building bulk from an unversioned tech pack. Sketches, a reference garment, and a message thread are not a specification. Freeze version one and version every change after it.²

Approving a proto sample as if it were bulk approval. A proto sample proves construction and a fit sample proves measurements. Only the pre-production sample proves the jacket that will ship.

Changing fill or shell after pre-production approval without a new sample. Fill power and downproofness are lot properties, tested on the lot that ships.⁵ A different fill lot or shell fabric needs a new sample and a new quotation version.

Accepting test evidence for a different lot. A test report proves the lot it names. Check the lot number, the standard, and the date on each report against the lots named in your approval.

Agreeing corrections verbally. Corrections agreed in a call or a message need a new tech pack version and a written re-approval.

Treating a profile, a badge, or a sample photograph as inspection. A badge records document and photo checks.¹¹ Inspection is the sampling plan in the purchase order, carried out against the sealed pre-production sample.⁷

Skipping the first-off check at bulk start. Check the first jackets off the bulk line against the pre-production sample before the full run proceeds.

Checklist

Before you confirm, every line should be answered in writing, with version numbers that match the order record.

• Tech pack version one frozen: flats, bill of materials, POM chart, grading rules, construction, colorways, labels, and packing.²

• OEM or ODM model agreed, with the design source named for the style.¹

• Pattern checked against the POM chart, with grade rules for the full size range.⁴

• Proto and fit samples corrected in writing, with photographs and a revised measurement page.⁴

• Material lots approved, with test standards, lot numbers, and reports on file.⁵

• Pre-production sample measured, washed where relevant, and approved in writing.

• Quotation itemized, with the counting basis, delivery term, and validity stated.⁶

• Inspection agreed: AQL values, inspection level, defect classifications, inspector, and rejected-lot terms in the purchase order.⁷

• Label proofs approved word for word for each market, including fiber names and percentages in descending order for the EU.⁸

• Classification treated as indicative and confirmed for the destination tariff.^{9 10}

• Supplier checks completed: association claim confirmed at the source, and badges read for what they record.^{11 12}

• Repeat-order record kept: tech pack versions, material lots, test reports, approved proofs, and the sealed pre-production sample.

What should I know first about puffer jackets?

Know the jacket as a process, not only as a garment. Under OEM, you supply the design and specification and the factory produces to your exact requirements.¹ The tech pack is the specification, the sample ladder proves construction, fit, and materials in stages, and the pre-production sample is the bulk release gate.⁴ Heading 6201 covers anoraks and similar articles for men or boys, not knitted or crocheted, split by fiber.¹⁰ Confirm the full code for your styles and markets before filing.

What are the typical costs and timelines?

There are no typical costs or timelines for custom puffer jackets as a category that a buyer can rely on. Fill, shell, quilting, trims, labels, quantity, the size and color plan, the delivery term, and the destination each move the figure, and material lots and correction rounds each move the timeline. Example figures show structure only: an example total of 100 units rises to 108 units when the fill line rises by 8 units and nothing else changes. Ask for a cost breakdown by line, a date for each gate, and a validity date, and compare suppliers on the same breakdown and the same Incoterm.⁶

Which documents are needed?

Three sets: the order set (versioned tech pack, accepted quotation version, purchase order, sample approvals), the product set (test reports, fill evidence, label approvals), and the shipment set (invoice, packing list, transport document, origin or customs documents). For the EU market, the label must state the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibers in descending order.⁸ The purchase order must also carry the inspection standard, following ISO 2859-1:2026.⁷

What are the most common mistakes?

The most common mistakes are building from an unversioned tech pack, approving bulk from a proto sample, changing fill or shell after pre-production approval without a new sample, and accepting test evidence for a different lot.^{2 5} Next, agreeing corrections verbally and treating a badge or a sample photograph as inspection.¹¹ Last, skipping the first-off check at bulk start. Avoid all of them by keeping one versioned document, one written approval per gate, and one sealed sample as the shipment reference.

Next steps on Exportain

Browse Bangladeshi suppliers and shortlist factories by outerwear capability and by how they run the process in this guide. Ask each shortlisted factory for its tech pack template and sample stages, and send each one the same tech pack version so quotations answer the same specification. Read each badge for the checks behind it before you shortlist, and keep sample approval, test evidence, and inspection as your own controls.

Post a free RFQ on Exportain and get quotes from Bangladeshi suppliers → https://exportain.com/rfqs